Administrative overview · FIPS 48135
Ector County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Ector County Development Services / Ector County Health Department
For a project in or near Ector County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Development Services: 432-498-4241; Ector County Health Department/OSSF: 432-498-4141; County Judge: 432-498-4100
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Ector County Development Services, 1010 E 8th Street, Suite 114, Odessa, TX 79761; Ector County Health Department, 221 N Texas Avenue, Odessa, TX 79761
Operating hours
N/A; contact Development Services at 432-498-4241 or the Health Department at 432-498-4141 before visiting.
Review expectation
N/A; the county’s reviewed Development Services page does not publish a fixed review timeline. County permits are stated to have no cost.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Ector County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Ector County Development Services / Ector County Health Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Development Services: 432-498-4241; Ector County Health Department/OSSF: 432-498-4141; County Judge: 432-498-4100.
How long might review take?
N/A; the county’s reviewed Development Services page does not publish a fixed review timeline. County permits are stated to have no cost.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the permit, site plan, and attachments through the county’s online permitting link or by email to development.services@ectorcountytx.gov with the property address in the subject. The Development Structure permit is valid for six months and the county inspector may request proof at the job site. Ector County Health Department evaluates and inspects OSSFs and issues the operating permit after successful inspection; contact 432-498-4141.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Ector County does not enforce development zoning in unincorporated areas and does not issue Certificates of Occupancy. It requires Development Structure and Drive Approach permits for unincorporated dwellings or businesses, and a permit for OSSF installation or repair. The reviewed county materials do not identify a general ICC building-code edition. The county’s no-zoning letter states that solar panels and fire-suppression systems do not require county permits in unincorporated areas. Development Structure and Drive Approach permits remain required for applicable dwellings or businesses, and septic permits are required for OSSF installation or repair. No broader cosmetic-work list was published.